The present invention relates to a treatment system for percutaneous coronary angioplasty or peripheral angioplasty in which an angioplasty balloon is used to dilate a lesion (e.g., calcified lesion) and restore normal blood flow in the artery. In this type of procedure, a catheter carrying a balloon is advanced into the vasculature along a guide wire until the balloon is aligned with calcified plaques. The balloon is then pressurized to reduce or break the calcified plaques and push them back into the vessel wall.
More recently, the assignee herein has developed a treatment system that includes electrodes within an angioplasty type balloon. In use, the balloon is advanced to the region of an occlusion. The balloon is then partially pressurized with a conductive fluid. A series of high voltage pulses are applied to the electrodes within the balloon, with each pulse generating a shock wave in the conductive fluid. The shock waves pass through the balloon wall and into the occlusion, cracking the calcified plaques. Once the calcified plaques are cracked, the balloon can be further expanded to open the vessel. Such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,956,371 and 8,888,788, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Further, the assignee herein has developed techniques for providing an electrode on the tip of a guide wire for generating forward directed shock waves. This approach is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0320432, also incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to yet another alternative for placing shock wave electrodes near an occlusion. This approach can be used along or in conjunction with an angioplasty balloon.